Reliability and validity of the usability scale for assistive technology for computer access: a preliminary study...

Area of Science:

• Assistive Technology Research
• Rehabilitation Engineering
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Selecting appropriate computer access assistive technology (AT) is crucial for individuals with disabilities.
• Existing evaluation tools may lack comprehensive usability assessment.
• Standardized tools are needed to improve AT selection efficiency and effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish the interrater reliability and content validity of the Usability Scale for Assistive Technology-Computer Access (USAT-CA).
• To validate USAT-CA as a tool for selecting computer access AT devices.
• To assess the consistency of AT provider recommendations using the USAT-CA.

Main Methods:

• AT providers evaluated two clients with physical disabilities using the USAT-CA.
• An expert cohort refined a draft version of the USAT-CA.
• A revised version was used by 13 AT providers who completed a validation questionnaire.

Main Results:

• The USAT-CA demonstrated good to excellent interrater reliability with intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) scores ranging from 0.7 to 0.9.
• AT providers agreed on the tool's comprehensiveness, clarity, time efficiency, and utility.
• Consistent recommendations were made for computer access solutions, such as speech recognition software and ergonomic modifications.

Conclusions:

• The USAT-CA is a reliable and valid tool for evaluating computer access AT.
• The scale facilitates consistent and effective AT selection for individuals with disabilities.
• USAT-CA aids in optimizing client-computer interaction through informed device selection.